Resolutions, Certainties and Intentions

It always seems like a week or two into the new year, resolutions are left by the wayside. How many of you remember what you vowed to do just 11 days ago?

I made a few notes on what I'd like 2007 to look like: a new house, more work/life balance, a safe and healthy homebirth. But beyond that, the year looks kind of fuzzy. My first baby threw me for a loop...and I'm not planning anything major until I know what this one is going to be like.

Carson at Content Done Better posted about Certainties for the new year, rather than resolutions. You are still the same you, the only thing that changed was the calendar. Resolutions, he says, are weak. And I tend to agree.

When you resolve to do something, you are basically saying "I'll give it a try." When you state your goals as certainties, you expect them to manifest and (I believe) things set into motion to allow them to happen.

Earlier tonight, I was reading Lynne Grabhorn's "Excuse Me, Your Life is Waiting" It's partially for a freelance assignment, and partially because I am interested in it. She wrote about stating your goals as intentions, rather than affirmations. Affirmations are flimsy, and really don't work all that well.

Think about it this way. If you want to lose weight, and use a classic affirmation statement like "I am fit and healthy" your brain says "Yeah right, tubby!" Your confidence and belief in your affirmation statement is totally shot, and the affirmation won't work.

Saying "I intend to be fit and healthy" is much less open to criticism by your brain.

The occurrence of Carson's certainties post, and my reading about intentions during the same day got me thinking...maybe I should intend to do more this year.

If all I intend to do or expect is to get through the postpartum period with sanity intact, then that's all I'll get. I think I am going to revise my "resolutions" and change them into certainties and intentions.

What did you resolve to do this year? Why not make them certainties?